I recently broke out my DVD's and have been re-watching the first few episodes from 1979/80. I noticed a few posts here implied that the episode " Like Mother Like Daughter" had to be re-shot with a limited audience. Is that true and why ? I never really noticed after seeing it over the decades.

I also always wondered why Pamela Huntington who played Blair's mother was never brought back in the role ? She was a very popular commercial actress and model back in the day.

I recently broke out my DVD's and have been re-watching the first few episodes from 1979/80. I noticed a few posts here implied that the episode " Like Mother Like Daughter" had to be re-shot with a limited audience. Is that true and why ? I never really noticed after seeing it over the decades.

Hey Hoagie!

Welcome back!

We don't know which episode was re-taped, but we're told, in the Cast Confessions documentary, that one S1 episode was re-taped. "Like Mother, Like Daughter" has some sort of issue with the audience being very quiet, so it FEELS like the obvious candidate. The production seems fine on the other episodes. This is just a theory until we know more.


I also always wondered why Pamela Huntington who played Blair's mother was never brought back in the role ? She was a very popular commercial actress and model back in the day.

We don't know, but she was filming Force: Five in 1981 and They Call Me Bruce in 1981 or 1982, so maybe there was a scheduling conflict. She clearly was in demand in that era.

"Like Mother, Like Daughter" has some sort of issue with the audience being very quiet, so it FEELS like the obvious candidate.

Yes, the audience feels very empty. I always have the sense there are so many empty seats in there.


I also always wondered why Pamela Huntington who played Blair's mother was never brought back in the role ? She was a very popular commercial actress and model back in the day.

Well, I'm very glad she was not brought back or came back. I just do not buy her as Blair's mother at all. Marj Dusay's portrayal, now that is Blair's mother.

Like Mother and Daughter would also be a good candidate because it was the first episode after the Drummond family visited. The green young actresses probably were a little nervous about taping a show where they would be the focus. of the cameras and audience without the Different Strokes cast.

Hey Hoagie!

Welcome back!

We don't know which episode was re-taped, but we're told, in the Cast Confessions documentary, that one S1 episode was re-taped. "Like Mother, Like Daughter" has some sort of issue with the audience being very quiet, so it FEELS like the obvious candidate. The production seems fine on the other episodes. This is just a theory until we know more.



We don't know, but she was filming Force: Five in 1981 and They Call Me Bruce in 1981 or 1982, so maybe there was a scheduling conflict. She clearly was in demand in that era.

Thanks for the reply. I noticed she stopped acting after about 1982 according to her imdb profile. She may have continued in commercials after that point. I remember reading that first season was rushed and kind of a mess. They were writing right up to the shooting days. Another thing I noticed that the staff on the first year tried to make things more sexual. They had the girls in short shorts, skimpy tops, doing cart wheels, physically fighting, alluding to lesbianism. In the opening credits for the 1980 episodes they had the girls wrestling with each other on the lawn while some pervert in a red shirt watches in the distance.:lol:

Thanks for the reply. I noticed she stopped acting after about 1982 according to her imdb profile. She may have continued in commercials after that point.

I'm sure she was still doing commercials, and of course still modeling. I wonder what made her give up film and television acting, because it's clear she was in demand, at the time.


I remember reading that first season was rushed and kind of a mess. They were writing right up to the shooting days.

NBC was in such a mess that I honestly don't think they knew what they were doing half the time. They spent all this money on production, but didn't bother to remodel an existing set from another series, hired a bunch of older men to write for girls, then barely got any press photos before the series went on the air, then they yanked it off the air for six months, stuck on two other short-lived shows, then brought the show back with several changes, then... :lol:


Another thing I noticed that the staff on the first year tried to make things more sexual. They had the girls in short shorts, skimpy tops, doing cart wheels, physically fighting, alluding to lesbianism.

I honestly don't think the alluding to lesbianism was actually anything "sexual"; sure, it was controversial, for the time, but there was nothing inately sexual about the episode, any more than being straight is sexual. Your mileage may vary.

And the backflip wasn't sexual, either: it's not like Cindy was doing backflips in a skirt with no underwear. She was wearing typical athletic shorts; would we call it "sexual" if a 14-year-old boy did the same backflip on a show?


In the opening credits for the 1980 episodes they had the girls wrestling with each other on the lawn while some pervert in a red shirt watches in the distance.:lol:

:lol: well, that was mostly '80sSitcoms and I having fun, making fun of "Creepy Stranger".

Like Mother and Daughter would also be a good candidate because it was the first episode after the Drummond family visited. The green young actresses probably were a little nervous about taping a show where they would be the focus. of the cameras and audience without the Different Strokes cast.

It's possible that the girls being nervous caused the re-taping, but it's also possible that completely different factors caused the re-shoot. An undetected mechanical glitch in a camera, studio background noise (like the construction of another nearby set), bad lighting, or even confusing stage directions causing a cluttered set could have been the issue. We just don't know.

We do know the audio mics for some early episodes were not great, but the directors apparently chose to leave in some sketchy mic work. Check out "Running", for example; I think there's a major audio blooper in the scene when Sue Ann talks about giving up running to focus on her grades. That had nothing to do with actress inexperience, and everything to do with the audio crew or equipment issues no-one bothered to fix because things were rushed. Margie Peters says they had space to breathe on Season Two because of the actors' strike; it's clear there was no time to breathe during Season One.

I'm sure she was still doing commercials, and of course still modeling. I wonder what made her give up film and television acting, because it's clear she was in demand, at the time.



NBC was in such a mess that I honestly don't think they knew what they were doing half the time. They spent all this money on production, but didn't bother to remodel an existing set from another series, hired a bunch of older men to write for girls, then barely got any press photos before the series went on the air, then they yanked it off the air for six months, stuck on two other short-lived shows, then brought the show back with several changes, then... :lol:

I honestly don't think the alluding to lesbianism was actually anything "sexual"; sure, it was controversial, for the time, but there was nothing inately sexual about the episode, any more than being straight is sexual. Your mileage may vary.

And the backflip wasn't sexual, either: it's not like Cindy was doing backflips in a skirt with no underwear. She was wearing typical athletic shorts; would we call it "sexual" if a 14-year-old boy did the same backflip on a show?


:lol: well, that was mostly '80sSitcoms and I having fun, making fun of "Creepy Stranger".

I recall in the Cast Confessions segment several people mentioned how some of those in charge the first year were trying to sex things up. Felice Shachter said she and the other girls could hear some of the production crew discussing stuff about them and it was way too adult. :lol: I wonder who the guy in the red shirt is in the opening credits ?

Yes, it was weird they pulled the show off after the first 4 shows and waited to put it back on in spring. Viewers were like what the ????

The lesbian episode was controversial for the time, since people have joked for years that stuff went on like that in all girl and boy schools.

I recall in the Cast Confessions segment several people mentioned how some of those in charge the first year were trying to sex things up. Felice Shachter said she and the other girls could hear some of the production crew discussing stuff about them and it was way too adult. :lol:

Yeah, she mentioned that again in the recent Reelz documentary, too. I wish the production team had been more respectful, but I also know it was a simpler time when comments were more acceptable.


I wonder who the guy in the red shirt is in the opening credits ?

I suspect he was on the production crew, but it's possible he was some random bystander, like the old lady watching Mary Richards flinging her hat in the air with abandon, on the Mary Tyler Moore Show (she was interviewed decades later (https://ew.com/tv/2017/01/25/mary-tyler-moore-hat-toss/)).


The lesbian episode was controversial for the time, since people have joked for years that stuff went on like that in all girl and boy schools.

Well, the "stuff like that" was just a girl saying "I love you!" to another girl (Julie Anne remembers Cindy saying it to Blair, but she actually said it to Sue Ann), and then Blair made a thoughtless series of remarks about it.

Yeah, she mentioned that again in the recent Reelz documentary, too. I wish the production team had been more respectful, but I also know it was a simpler time when comments were more acceptable.



I suspect he was on the production crew, but it's possible he was some random bystander, like the old lady watching Mary Richards flinging her hat in the air with abandon, on the Mary Tyler Moore Show (she was interviewed decades later (https://ew.com/tv/2017/01/25/mary-tyler-moore-hat-toss/)).



Well, the "stuff like that" was just a girl saying "I love you!" to another girl (Julie Anne remembers Cindy saying it to Blair, but she actually said it to Sue Ann), and then Blair made a thoughtless series of remarks about it.

It may have been just some guy from the production crew.

I know things were different back then (I was a kid growing up back then) with the girls having comments made about them. Today there would be lawsuits galore.

I always wondered when production of Facts picked back up after the first 4 shows. Did they just continue to film in late 79 and then they aired at a later date, or did they start filming again in January of 80 ? Miss Mahoney was cut by then

It may have been just some guy from the production crew.

I know things were different back then (I was a kid growing up back then) with the girls having comments made about them. Today there would be lawsuits galore.

I always wondered when production of Facts picked back up after the first 4 shows. Did they just continue to film in late 79 and then they aired at a later date, or did they start filming again in January of 80 ? Miss Mahoney was cut by then

The show went on hiaitus in late '79 and picked back up in early '80. I'll bump the FOL production guide thread so you can see the taping dates.

(and we all thought Miss Mahoney was "cut" all this time, but she asked to leave)

It may have been just some guy from the production crew.

I know things were different back then (I was a kid growing up back then) with the girls having comments made about them. Today there would be lawsuits galore.

I always wondered when production of Facts picked back up after the first 4 shows. Did they just continue to film in late 79 and then they aired at a later date, or did they start filming again in January of 80 ? Miss Mahoney was cut by then

There was a taping hiatus, with everyone (except Jenny O'Hara and the original grandfather clock) coming back in November; the fifth, sixth, and seventh episodes were taped in December, but didn't air for quite some time, due to other shows being on NBC's schedule. There's a Production Guide (https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=287307) here with taping dates as well as air dates.

The show went on hiaitus in late '79 and picked back up in early '80. )

Early '80 is too late; there were already three more episodes in the can before 1980 started.

We do know the audio mics for some early episodes were not great, but the directors apparently chose to leave in some sketchy mic work. Check out "Running", for example; I think there's a major audio blooper in the scene when Sue Ann talks about giving up running to focus on her grades.

What was this?

What was this?

It's about six minutes and 20 seconds into "Running (https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6mhdjg)". There's a very obvious mic problem just after Sue Ann says "Who's trying to hurt Eastland?" She then says, "I've already set the record and I don't feel like training again four hours every day." The first part of that sentence has a bad audio glitch that should have been re-shot because it echoes badly, but they left it in. That wasn't Julie Pie's fault.

If "Like Mother, Like Daughter" had several such audio glitches, it might cause the producers to re-tape scenes (or the entire episode, if many parts were affected), causing the production to re-tape after the studio audience had gone home. This is why I do suspect the episode re-taped was LMLD. Just a theory, but I was convinced by '80sSitcoms, who first mentioned the studio audience in LMLD sounds so very quiet, as if there are only a few people there.

NBC was in such a mess that I honestly don't think they knew what they were doing half the time. They spent all this money on production, but didn't bother to remodel an existing set from another series, hired a bunch of older men to write for girls, then barely got any press photos before the series went on the air, then they yanked it off the air for six months, stuck on two other short-lived shows, then brought the show back with several changes, then... :lol:.

Where was this set used in a previous series? Was it Maude? What episode was it used in?

Where was this set used in a previous series? Was it Maude? What episode was it used in?

It may have been used on Maude, but it was definitely used on Co-Ed Fever (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClD8Fidcd_k), which lasted a full episode in the US. (My apologies for linking the horrific theme song).

Yup, some of the dorm set was apparently used in the "Maude" episode where Maude and Vivian go to a reunion.

It may have been used on Maude, but it was definitely used on Co-Ed Fever (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClD8Fidcd_k), which lasted a full episode in the US. (My apologies for linking the horrific theme song).

Oh wow. I never knew of this show. And OMG, the lady’s voice in theme song is so grating and the show looked horrible.

Oh wow. I never knew of this show. And OMG, the lady’s voice in theme song is so grating and the show looked horrible.

YES. I can't imagine why they went with such a grating theme song, and the show was tacky. I guess it was an "Animal House" clone. In the US, it was cancelled either after the first episode, or after only this preview had aired. In Canada, a few more episodes aired before the plug was pulled.

I just watched “Vivian’s Decision” from Maude and the sorority house room looked just like Blair, Nancy and Sue Ann’s room. The room’s wallpaper looked more pink.

Then I watched “Like Mother, Like Daughter” and yes, it looked like the girls’ room but the door was on the same wall just further down stage. The wallpaper was more of an orange tint.

The audio was way too quiet on this episode. Take for instance when Mrs. Garrett said “poppycock” when offering it to Blair’s mom and her former high school boyfriend. The audience was silent but it definitely sounded like there was supposed to be laughter. Also Sue Ann’s and Blair’s lines in this episode sounded like they were speaking in and out of the microphone’s direction.

Oh wow. I never knew of this show. And OMG, the lady’s voice in theme song is so grating and the show looked horrible.

There are lots of ties between The Facts of Life besides using the same set and having a house mother and a resident feminist.

One of the actresses in Coed Fever (Alex Kenin) played Jo's friend from the hood in the FOL episode of New York, New York and costarred with Molly Ringwald in Pretty in Pink. She past away while filming that movie from an asthma attack.

Another of the actresses in Coed Fever (Heather Thomas) costarred with Felice Schachter in Zapped.

There was a taping hiatus, with everyone (except Jenny O'Hara and the original grandfather clock) coming back in November; the fifth, sixth, and seventh episodes were taped in December, but didn't air for quite some time, due to other shows being on NBC's schedule. There's a Production Guide (https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=287307) here with taping dates as well as air dates.

Thanks for the info. I always suspected they continued filming for the rest of 1979 and the episodes were shelved. The episode Emily Dickinson was interesting that it's the only time Blair wore her hair like that. The guy Jason Hoss she is with screams late 70's with his helmet blow dried hair, turtleneck, and suede car coat. Steve the delivery boy from Dieting and The Facts Of Love looks like straight out of a 1979 yearbook

There are lots of ties between The Facts of Life besides using the same set and having a house mother and a resident feminist.

One of the actresses in Coed Fever (Alex Kenin) played Jo's friend from the hood in the FOL episode of New York, New York and costarred with Molly Ringwald in Pretty in Pink. She past away while filming that movie from an asthma attack.

Another of the actresses in Coed Fever (Heather Thomas) costarred with Felice Schachter in Zapped.

Cool ties! Yeah, it was really a shame about Alexa. :(

I just watched “Vivian’s Decision” from Maude and the sorority house room looked just like Blair, Nancy and Sue Ann’s room.

And Molly, and Natalie, and Tootie's room. lol. They didn't work much to differentiate the girls' rooms. It looks like they just used the same room set and changed a few things around.

Then I watched “Like Mother, Like Daughter”...The audio was way too quiet on this episode. Take for instance when Mrs. Garrett said “poppycock” when offering it to Blair’s mom and her former high school boyfriend. The audience was silent but it definitely sounded like there was supposed to be laughter.

There was. There was supposed to be laughter in MANY places there either wasn't, or wasn't audible. When Tootie makes her crack about studying Miss Mahoney's body, there are only a few chuckles. That's it. It sounds SO pathetic. I wonder if there were major audio problems with 1 of the 2 tapings, or if the audience was very empty for 1 of the 2 tapings. Because, watching it again, sometimes the laughter is normal, and other times it's almost nonexistent. :confused:

She past away while filming that movie from an asthma attack.

Cool ties! Yeah, it was really a shame about Alexa. :(

"Asthma"?? I never heard that. I heard she was murdered by her ex-boyfriend.

I just Googled, and apparently there are different possibilities how she died:

-murdered by ex
-heroin overdose
-asthma attack

One search result says the PiP cast was told she died of an asthma attack, not telling them that really her ex murdered her.

Wikipedia says the public has never been told the official reason.

"Asthma"?? I never heard that. I heard she was murdered by her ex-boyfriend.

I just Googled, and apparently there are different possibilities how she died:

-murdered by ex
-heroin overdose
-asthma attack

One search result says the PiP cast was told she died of an asthma attack, not telling them that really her ex murdered her.

Wikipedia says the public has never been told the official reason.

I had long believed it was a drug overdose. We'll probably never know. May she rest in peace.

Thanks for the info. I always suspected they continued filming for the rest of 1979 and the episodes were shelved. The episode Emily Dickinson was interesting that it's the only time Blair wore her hair like that.

I suspect Lisa had a zit on her forehead, so the hair dresser JoAnn Stafford-Chaney brushed her hair across like that.


The guy Jason Hoss she is with screams late 70's with his helmet blow dried hair, turtleneck, and suede car coat. Steve the delivery boy from Dieting and The Facts Of Love looks like straight out of a 1979 yearbook

Yeah, both of those guys have the very late 1970s look. Steve reminds me a bit of the young Mark Hamill. Mr. Bradley looks quite '70s in his Club Med... Maui... cowboy outfit? :lol:

Steve reminds me a bit of the young Mark Hamill.

Haha yes! :lol:

"Asthma"?? I never heard that. I heard she was murdered by her ex-boyfriend.

I just Googled, and apparently there are different possibilities how she died:

-murdered by ex
-heroin overdose
-asthma attack

One search result says the PiP cast was told she died of an asthma attack, not telling them that really her ex murdered her.

Wikipedia says the public has never been told the official reason.

Her death certificate says asthma attack. Why is there suck a big conspiracy theories about her death, I don't know. It's not like the Dorothy Kilgallen case. Alexa was not a well known or controversial person. Why would they try to cover up a murder and put down a natural cause?

This article here takes a sobering and scientific approach at Alexa Kenin's death. They pretty much put the murder theory as being totally unrealistic.
http://www.caledoniankitty.co.uk/2019/03/the-mysterious-death-of-alexa-kenin.html

This article here takes a sobering and scientific approach at Alexa Kenin's death. They pretty much put the murder theory as being totally unrealistic.
http://www.caledoniankitty.co.uk/2019/03/the-mysterious-death-of-alexa-kenin.html

I believe the heroin theory. To me, it makes the most sense.

I believe the heroin theory. To me, it makes the most sense.

This article just published two years after Alexa's death can explain it all. Heroin and asthma medications can be a deadly mix.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1835195/

This article just published two years after Alexa's death can explain it all. Heroin and asthma medications can be a deadly mix.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1835195/

That's what I was thinking. It was a combination of the two mixing and causing a deadly reaction. It's a shame. I really liked her in "New York, New York".

Yeah, Jesse and Dina really added to that episode.

That's what I was thinking. It was a combination of the two mixing and causing a deadly reaction. It's a shame. I really liked her in "New York, New York".

Alexa was also in Little Darlings which also had Felice's sister Simone in and was the inspiration of the Jo character.

And Molly, and Natalie, and Tootie's room. lol. They didn't work much to differentiate the girls' rooms. It looks like they just used the same room set and changed a few things around.



There was. There was supposed to be laughter in MANY places there either wasn't, or wasn't audible. When Tootie makes her crack about studying Miss Mahoney's body, there are only a few chuckles. That's it. It sounds SO pathetic. I wonder if there were major audio problems with 1 of the 2 tapings, or if the audience was very empty for 1 of the 2 tapings. Because, watching it again, sometimes the laughter is normal, and other times it's almost nonexistent. :confused:

I know back in the 70's and early 80's videotape was difficult to edit. Soaps would shoot an entire episode start to finish like a stage play and leave spaces for ads to be inserted for commercial breaks. They would only re-shoot if there was a major mistake. If it was not too bad they left it in. Something must have happened like audio etc...in the Like Mother, Like Daughter episode and things had to quickly be reshot before the air date 3 days later. Speaking of flubs, in the closing scenes of " Rough Housing" Willis and Arnold are messing around and spill punch as the crowd is applauding in the closing scene.

Usually there are two tapings- a Dress show and an Air Show. And they would edit the two together (best parts of each taping) for a final print